


From a Different Life

by Huntress79, nomadicwolf



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Gang AU, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-16
Updated: 2019-06-21
Packaged: 2020-05-12 16:35:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 16,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19232950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Huntress79/pseuds/Huntress79, https://archiveofourown.org/users/nomadicwolf/pseuds/nomadicwolf
Summary: Steve Rogers is an undercover police officer sent in to take down the local gang from the inside.  He's eager to prove himself, and finds that he's able to infiltrate the gang with relative ease.  Just when he finally starts to make progress, a familiar face complicates things in more ways than one.  Steve then has to choose between his mission and his friend.





	1. Prologue

[](https://images2.imgbox.com/c5/36/Zx4bzGYJ_o.jpg)

*********************

[ ](http://imgbox.com/ohi0ai8T)

            Steve was looking around the bar.  His first undercover gig. He was just supposed to be looking for underage drinkers buying their way past the bouncers.  It seemed like they must have been tipped off to their presence. The bouncers were being particularly diligent to make sure no one got through the cracks.  Steve wasn’t too surprised. He had concerns that there was a leak in the division. It wasn’t as though this was a big enough case for anyone to really care about, though.  The goal was to find one piece of a bigger puzzle.

            Steve was about to call it a night.  He’d been nursing a beer for almost three hours, pretending to care about a low stakes baseball game on the television.  It was clear that no one was going to risk anything tonight. He’d come back in a week or so and try again. Steve tossed some cash down on the bar and began making his way over to the exit when he saw it out of the corner of his eye.

            He could see someone come up and hit one of the men sitting at the bar--completely unprovoked.  The guy was so shell-shocked, he wasn’t even fighting back as he was just pummeled. Steve cursed himself as he stepped in, fighting the attacker off.  He didn’t even have the chance to make an arrest because he fled once Steve started to gain the upper hand. He considered pursuing the attacker, but that would have guaranteed that his cover would be blown.

            Steve looked over to the victim.  “You okay?”

            “I had it under control,” the man sputtered as he was covering his nose.  There was blood streaming down his face. It was probably broken. Still. It could have been a lot worse.

            “‘Course you did,” Steve said sarcastically.  “You got someone I can call? You’re in no condition to drive, and you’re not getting blood in my car.”

            The man laughed harshly.  “I’ll manage.”

            Steve gave a nod.  He went to leave when he was interrupted by the man clearing his throat.

            “You got a name?”

            Steve froze.  It was undercover 101.  He needed an alias and he didn’t have one.  “Stevens. Roger Stevens.” Smooth. Real fucking smooth.  He just switched his first and last name. How fucking original.

            “Brock,” he said as he took a bar napkin and began cleaning his face.  “You hang out here a lot? I haven’t seen you around before?”

            Steve shook his head.  “No. I… I’m new to the area.  I don’t have cable installed yet and I wanted to see a good game.  Unfortunately, the only game on was a waste. I should have stayed home.”

            “Yeah, well.” The man--Brock shrugged. “Next time you’re around, the first drink is on me.”

            “I’ll hold you to that,” Steve said half heartedly.  He didn’t look back as he headed towards the exit. He couldn’t wait until he got a real assignment rather than just dealing with drunken bar fights on a regular basis.

 

 


	2. Chapter 1

[ ](http://imgbox.com/WKG3DmP4)

            Steve was sitting at his desk, writing up the report on his undercover excursion.  He hated that he had to write up every last detail despite the fact that he didn’t even find what they were looking for.  It wasn’t as if anyone was going to even look at this report. It was just going to find its way to a file cabinet for the rest of its days.  It wasn’t like he was investigating anything of actual value. Not really.

            “Steve,” Captain Danvers said, snapping him out of his thoughts.

            He looked up to see his boss Carol standing there with the head of the Major Crimes division--Chief Nicholas Fury.  They were just standing over his desk as he stared at them. There were about five other people standing behind them that he didn’t recognize.  Something was happening.

            Steve glanced around the rest of the office.  Wilson and Barton were staring over in shock at the sight.  He slowly stood up from his chair. “Captain.”

            “Step into my office for a second.” She motioned to the door.

            Steve eyed her carefully before complying.  This was new. He’d never been asked to sit in while she spoke to Fury or anyone else for that matter.  He understood that Carol and Fury had been trying to work together on a new gang task force, but he didn’t think that he had anything to contribute.  He was stuck on trying to find out if a bar was accepting fake IDs or letting underage kids in. Why would they need to speak with him?

            Steve cleared his throat and nodded as he walked into the office.  The door was closed behind him by one of the people there he didn’t recognize.

            Carol smiled politely at him.  “Rogers. Take a seat.” She motioned to the chair that was across from her desk.

            He eyed her carefully before he took a seat in the chair.  “Is everything all right? If I did something… outside of protocol or--”

            “No.”  Her eyes widened.  “It’s nothing like that.  It turns out that your undercover work at the bar the other night may have been more fruitful than we previously thought.”

            “How so?” Steve asked as he raised an eyebrow.  He was almost certain that he didn’t learn anything useful in the several hours he sat at the bar nursing one beer.

            “You broke up a bar fight, correct?” Fury asked, cutting to the chase.  

            Steve nodded.  “Yeah. Some guy just started pummeling this other guy that was just minding his own business.  I broke it up.”

            “That guy was most definitely _not_ minding his own business,” Fury said grimly.  “That man was Brock Rumlow. Ever heard of him?”

            Steve shook his head.  “I can’t say I have.”

            “He’s a Lieutenant of the Hydras.  Apparently you left quite the impression on him.  He’s been asking around about you,” Fury continued.

            Steve grimaced.  “I gave a fake name--”

            “A pretty lousy one,” Fury said.  “Regardless, he’s looking around for Stevens.  The thing is, we’ve been trying to find a way to get someone on the inside here.  I’ve spoken to Danvers, she speaks highly of you. We think that you might be the answer we’ve been looking for.”

            “You want me to…infiltrate Hydra?” Steve asked, following a pause.  

            “Are you up for it?” Carol asked.  “If you don’t think you’re up for it, we can figure something else out.  I know it’s a big ask.”

            Steve gave a nod.  “I’m up for it. I want to help however I can.”

            “That’s the spirit,” one of the others spoke up.

            Steve just smiled tightly.  He wasn’t sure quite how well he’d hold up undercover.  He couldn’t even come up with a good alias on the spot. “I just might need a refresher course on some of the undercover stuff.  I’m not always so good on my feet.”

            “We can arrange that,” Carol said confidently.  “We want you to be in the best position to succeed here.  If all goes well, you’ll be in and out. We just need help nailing the head of the Hydra.”

            Steve nodded.  “I want to help in whatever way I can.  Anything to nail these guys to the wall, right?”

            “We’ve put together a task force to try and shut these bastards down,” the one who spoke before said.  “We’ll make sure that you’re briefed before we send you in. You’ll need to gain their trust. That might mean doing some things that might be a bit beyond your comfort level.”

            “Noted,” Steve said.  “I imagine that I’ll have to become a member.”

            “That’s where this gets complicated,” Carol piped up.  “We’ve never had someone successfully make it through the initiation.  Some guys have had their cover blown and… let’s just say that you’ll need to be in deep cover.”

            Steve’s face paled at that.  He wanted to be a part of a bigger project, but dying over the opportunity to prove himself seemed a bit extreme.  He wanted to make a difference, not be an expendable piece of the puzzle. “I’ll do whatever needs to be done.”

            “That’s what we like to hear,” Fury said.  He seemed pleased that Steve was on board. Steve was glad to have made some sort of an impression on the head of the Major Crimes division.  He just hoped that it didn’t wind up costing him his life.

 

 


	3. Chapter 2

[ ](http://imgbox.com/73CP3S8e)

            Steve had spent the following week being briefed on everything that the department knew about the Hydras.  It turns out they didn’t actually know all that much. They’d been credited with an obscene amount of crimes and yet there was little to no paper trail.  Even the few people that the PD did manage to bring in for questioning either kept quiet or took their own lives before they could be brought in. From what he could grasp, this seemed to almost be a cult.  He’d never seen criminals so loyal.

            The one good thing was that Steve was supposed to be oblivious to all this.  He was just supposed to be an unsuspecting bargoer and leave it at that. There was a fair chance that Brock wouldn’t even be there.  He wasn’t sure how convincing he would be. His biggest fear was that he would give something away or mention something that he wasn’t supposed to know.  He learned that he wasn’t great when it came to thinking on his feet. All it would take is someone to google Steve Rogers instead of Roger Stevens to come up with all his information.

            Steve was sitting in the same bar as the other night.  This time it just felt different. He wasn’t bored and watching the bouncer--he was supposed to just sit there and wait for Rumlow to approach.  He knew that he as being foolish--feeling anxious. There was a good chance that Rumlow wouldn’t even be there and an even bigger chance that he wouldn’t approach Steve at all.  For all they knew he gave up his search and interest in him. Still he felt the hairs on the back of his neck standing up and he couldn’t help but tap his foot repeatedly against the barstool.  Try as he might--he was still nervous.

            Steve tried to focus on the baseball game on the screen.  He had forgotten that he was supposed to make his one beer last--it was already gone.  The nerves were really getting to him. The bartender eyed him carefully.

            “You want another?”

            Steve knew that he shouldn’t, but he wasn’t even buzzed.  It was only one drink. Another wouldn’t hurt. He’d just have to make sure that he made this one last.  Steve nodded. “Thanks.”

            The bartender nodded and put another raft beer down in front of him.  Steve took a sip and set it back down, determined to make this one last longer than the previous one.  Hopefully he’d be able to relax enough to blend in and not stand out like a sore thumb.

            He watched the game and found himself actually being able to maintain some interest in that.  It was a nice distraction to waiting for someone who might not even show up. He wondered how many nights he’d have to come in before Danvers and Fury told him to stop trying and that it was a dead end.  

            Steve never actually had to find out.  The second night that he went back to the bar, he was sitting there pretending to care about professional wrestling, when the bartender set another beer in front of him. “No, no,” Steve waved dismissively.  “I’m good for now.”

            “It’s already paid for,” he said as he motioned to the other end of the bar.

            Brock Rumlow was standing at the opposite side of the bar.  His glass raised and pointed in Steve’s direction. So much for him letting this go.  Steve smiled politely and took a sip from the glass. Rumlow must have taken that as his cue, because he stood up and made his way over to Steve.

            Steve swallowed the drink.  “Is the part where I’m supposed to give you my number or something?”  Steve asked dully. He really was not sure how he was supposed to play this.

            “Just consider it a thank you for not letting that guy beat me to death last week.”  Rumlow laughed.

            “Oh yeah,” Steve said dumbly.  “I hardly recognize you without the fat lip and bloody nose.”

            Brock laughed harshly at that.  “Most people can’t recognize me without those two things.”

            “So this is a bit of a habit for you?  Getting beaten up by complete strangers?” Steve teased as he took another sip.

            “Occupational hazard,” Brock said nonchalantly.

            “Yeah?” Steve asked.  “Martial artist?”

            Brock laughed but didn’t elaborate, so Steve didn’t push it.  “Thanks for the drink. I’m just glad I was able to help the other night.  That guy just came out of nowhere. I kind of just reacted. Anyone would have done it.”

            “Stop being so modest, Stevens.  No one else in this shithole did anything about it.”

            Steve smiled tightly at that.  He wasn’t exactly wrong. Honestly, Steve probably shouldn’t have done anything about it either.  He almost blew his cover in the process. “Well I guess I would’ve done it for anyone then.”

            “I actually believe that,” Rumlow said, glancing at the TV that Steve was pretending to pay attention to.  “You still don’t got cable?”

            Steve shook his head.  “Nah. I’m kind of in between jobs right now.  My savings is just kinda going towards rent right now.”

            “That why you’ve been sticking to almost one beer a night?” Rumlow asked.

            How would he know that?  Steve shot a glance to bartender before looking back to Brock.  “Yeah I can’t exactly break the bank on one beer a night.”

            “If you’re looking for a job… I might have an opportunity for a loyal guy like you,” Brock said, eyeing him carefully.

            “Who said anything about loyal?” Steve asked as he took another sip of the beer.  

            “Well you still haven’t told me to fuck off despite the fact that you know I’ve been asking around about you,” Brock said.

            “How would I know that?” Steve asked unamused.  “All I know is you got in a fight and I helped. Then you tell me… right now, that you found out my bar preferences.  I wouldn’t say that you were asking around.”

            Rumlow sighed.  “Well I have been.  No one seems to know too much about you, Roger.”

            “I’m just trying to watch the fight, man.  It’s not that big of a deal,” Steve said.

            “You interested in the job or not?”

            “You haven’t told me anything about it,” Steve said playing along.  He knew it had to be something illegal, to feel him out for the Hydras.

            Rumlow laughed.  “Let’s just say a friend of mine needs to make a delivery.  You just gotta drop off a package and that’s it.”

            Drugs.  Got it. “How much does it pay?  I’m not exactly UPS,” Steve said trying to sound oblivious.

            “Trust me, it pays well enough.  It’s off the books so no taxes are taken out.  What do you say?”

            Steve frowned.  He pretended to consider this before he sighed.  “Yeah. I guess. I mean I’m pretty desperate here.”

            “Meet me here same time tomorrow.” Rumlow walked over to the exit.

            “Is there a dress code?” Steve snarked.

            Rumlow let out another laugh.  “Just be here.”

 

 


	4. Chapter 3

[ ](http://imgbox.com/RVu4Pj80)

            Steve showed up the next day.  He had checked in quickly with Danvers.  He didn’t want to blow his cover, there was a chance that Rumlow had him followed.  He was sitting in the bar. He didn’t order a drink this time. This was supposed to be a job.

            Rumlow showed up a little after Steve got there.  He made his way over to Steve and handed him a duffle bag.  

            Steve took it and gave him a look.  “I take it this isn’t PostMates.”

            Rumlow shook his head and laughed.  “Not quite.” He took something out of his pocket and clapped it into Steve’s hand.  

            Steve looked at it.  It was a burner phone.  “What’s this for?”

            “It’s got the address in there… plus my number.  Text me once it’s been dropped off,” Rumlow said.

            “Am I… collecting payment or has that been taken care of already?” Steve asked.

            “This is just a drop.  Baby steps, Stevens.” Rumlow shoved his shoulder.  “If all goes well, we’ll be in touch.”

            Steve nodded as he put the strap of the duffle bag over his shoulder.  “Just a drop off? Sounds easy enough.”

            Rumlow raised an eyebrow.  “Don’t get too cocky there, Stevens.  Just get the job done.”

            Steve took a deep breath as he walked out of the bar.  Steve walked over to his car and opened the burner phone.  The address was in there all right. It wasn’t too far. Clearly it was something Rumlow could have done on his own.  This was a test.

            He took a deep breath as he pulled away from the curb.  He glanced in his rearview mirror. If he was being tailed, then they were being discrete.  Steve couldn’t spot anything particularly out of the ordinary.

            It only took about fifteen minutes for Steve to arrive at the location.  It was a house just outside of the city. It wasn’t in a particularly nice area, but it wasn’t the kind of drug den that he was expecting.  It just looked like a house.

            Steve got out of the car, taking the duffle bag with him.  He approached the door. Steve extended his arm to knock on the door and paused.  He was dropping of drugs. Was he supposed to just knock on the door and drop it off?  What if a kid answered the door? What if he got the address wrong? It didn’t matter. It was now or never.

            Steve sighed as he knocked twice.  He glanced back at his car. Maybe they weren’t home.  Maybe he’d have to call Rumlow and tell him that no one accepted the package.  He wasn’t sure how well that would go over. He looked back at the door. If anyone was inside, they were taking their sweet time to answer.

            After a moment, the door cracked open.  Someone poked their head out the door. “You lost or something?”

            Steve cleared his throat and shook his head.  “Brock sent me… for your delivery.”

            The man’s brow furrowed before looking at the duffle.  “Oh. You mean Crossbones? Come on in.”

            _Crossbones_.  He wasn’t briefed on that codename.  Good to know. Steve gave a quick nod as he entered the home.  There didn’t seem to be anyone else there.

            “Crossbones didn’t mention he’d be sending someone new,” the man said as he closed the door.  “You been making drops long?”

            Steve shook his head.  “No, not really.” Steve handed him the bag.

            The guy opened the bag an inspected it. He gave a nod and looked back up at Steve.  “This all looks good. Tell Crossbones we’ll be in touch.”

            Steve smiled tightly.  “Will do.” He walked out the door and entered the car.  He pulled away from the home. He wasn’t sure what kind of a test this was, but he didn’t want to stick around unless things weren’t as they seemed.

            Steve practically raced back to his place.  He needed to get better at playing things cool.  This just felt well above his pay grade. When he got inside the apartment he shot Rumlow a quick text, just stating that he’d made the drop.  He waited for a few moments. No answer. What if he did something wrong? What if the guy had suspicions that Steve was a cop? What if Rumlow realized that there was no Roger Stevens?  

            After a few hours of Steve pacing back and forth while staring at the burner phone, it buzzed.  Steve snatched it off the coffee table and looked at it. All it said was “Good job. See you tomorrow.  Same time. Same place.”

            Steve exhaled as he threw himself down on the couch.  He was one step closer to infiltrating Hydra. Which meant he was one step closer to being done with this assignment.

 

 


	5. Chapter 4

[ ](http://imgbox.com/kwwNdMqD)

            Steve met Rumlow at the bar the same time the following evening.  He wasn’t sure what to expect. He had made the drop, and everything had appeared to go over well.  Still, there was a reason that the department hadn’t had luck bringing the gang down yet. Steve was not about to start feeling cocky about the whole thing.

            Rumlow was already waiting for him when he arrived.  Steve wasn’t sure what to think of that. Steve was almost always there first--this was different.

Steve took a seat next to Rumlow at the bar. “You come here often?”

            Rumlow let out a low laugh as he took a sip of his drink.  He reached into his pocket and Steve felt his blood run cold.  Surely Brock wouldn’t just murder him in cold blood in front of this crowded bar… would he?

            Steve held his breath as Rumlow pulled a envelope out of his pocket and handed it to Steve.  He felt himself relax. “What’s this?”

            Rumlow gave him a look.  “Your payment from yesterday.”

            “Oh.  I figured that was just… the interview.”  Steve put the envelope in his own pocket. “Not that I’m complaining.”

            “That was a one time gig, Stevens,” Rumlow said, and Steve felt his stomach drop.  This wasn’t what he was expecting.

            “Did I fuck it up or something?” Steve asked as he motioned for the bartender to get him a beer.

            Rumlow shook his head.  “We were in a bind and needed someone to help out.  We appreciate it, but--”

            “Oh.  No. It’s fine.  I get it.” Steve shifted uncomfortably in his seat.  “I just figured… well you know after everything… I thought it’d be nice to work with someone I can trust.”

            Rumlow raised an eyebrow at that.  “No offense, Stevens, but we’ve only met a handful of times--”

            “I know, it’s just… you sought me out after I helped you out.  Where I’m from that shit means something. I appreciate you helping me out.  I’m not asking for more. Just forgive me for being disappointed. I just… it reminded of what it was like to serve.  That brotherhood, having each other’s back… I guess I was hoping to get a piece of that again,” Steve said, hoping this would appeal to Brock.  Those were values that were all seen in Hydra. Maybe it make Brock see him as an ideal candidate.

            Brock frowned.  “I’ll tell you what.  I like you, Stevens. I’ll reach out to some folks see if we can’t find an opening for you somewhere.  It’s not a guarantee, but…”

            “You don’t have to do that,” Steve said as the bartender sat his drank down in front of him.  “I feel like an idiot for even mentioning it.”

            Brock waved dismissively.  “Look, it’s the least I could do after you helped me out… twice now.  Hold onto the phone. I’ll be in touch.”

            Steve let out a theatrical sigh of relief.  “Thanks, Brock. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate all this.”

            Rumlow let out another laugh as he stood up.  “Don’t thank me yet.” He made his way over to the exit.  “We’ll be in touch, Stevens.”

            “Looking forward to it,” Steve called back.

            Steve hid out in his apartment for a few days, just waiting to hear something--anything back from Rumlow.  Maybe he’d laid it on too thick and that had tipped him off. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could wait around before letting Danvers know that Rumlow didn’t take the bait.  Still, he should have counted himself lucky that Rumlow hadn’t sent anyone to kill him yet either. That was a win in it of itself.

            Steve was getting ready to throw in the towel when the burner phone started buzzing incessantly.  He looked at it and was surprised to see that Rumlow was actually calling him. He wasn’t expecting that.

            “Hello?” Steve answered the phone.

            “Stevens!” Brock said back.  “Look, I’ve got good news and bad news.  The good news is that there might be a… try out of sorts for you to join.  The bad news is it’s tonight. I know it’s late notice--”

            “I’ll be there,” Steve said eagerly.  “Just tell me when and where.”

            “Great.  I’ll text you the details, and let my contact know you’re coming.  I’ll see you on the other side, Rogers.” The line went dead.

            Steve took a deep breath as he threw the phone down.  At least he was getting somewhere with this. A try-out.  This was definitely going to be bigger than just dropping off a duffle bag of drugs.  Steve had to prepare himself for the fact that he was likely going to be involved in something far more serious than supplying a junkie with drugs.  He wasn’t sure if he could be part of terrorizing some civilians to maintain his cover. Still, Hydra was bad news. It’d be more harm than good if Steve walked away… regardless of what they asked him to do.

 

 


	6. Chapter 5

[ ](http://imgbox.com/4FYf2WXV)

            Steve showed up at the address that Brock had sent to him on time.  Steve followed Brock’s instructions to a t and went around the back.  There were ten guys standing in a line and Steve joined it. It was almost exactly as Brock said it would be.  There was a taller man standing in front of them. This must have been the man running the show.

            After a few minutes of them standing there, the taller man cleared his throat.  “You all know why you’re here. As you know, Hydra’s territory is expanding, and some of the new tenants are being less than forthcoming with paying for our protection.  This is where you come in.”

            Steve frowned.  This wasn’t exactly hardcore gang initiation.  Steve was expecting something worse. Not that he was complaining.  If all he had to do was rough someone up for some cash then he could handle that.  Still he felt like there had to be some sort of a catch. This was Hydra, after all.

            “If any of you make it back here by tonight-- _with_ the payment, we’ll talk about the next step.  If you can’t secure the payment… I wouldn’t bother coming back here at all,” he said.

            Steve tried his best to keep his face neutral.  As uncomfortable as it would be to have to act this out, he knew that this was part of the deal.  When Fury and Danvers recruited him for this assignment, they made it clear that he’d have to go outside the law a bit to make lasting connections within the gang.  He really knew it was only a matter of time before he’d have to take it up a notch. Making a drop was one thing… this was different. It was different, but he needed this to work.

            Steve waited patiently for the tall man to finally get to him.  He handed him an envelope and Steve took it with a firm nod. He wasn’t entirely certain how he should be reading the entire situation.  Still--no one appeared to be onto him yet. Steve waited a moment before he made his way over to the car. Brock was standing outside the car for him.

            “Brock,” Steve said.  “You coming with?”

            He nodded back as he stood up straight from leaning against the car.  “I gotta make sure you follow through and don’t mug some poor asshole instead.”

            Steve raised an eyebrow.  “Don’t worry, I wasn’t planning to pussy out.  I need this, man.”

            Brock sighed.  “All right. Are you packing?”

            Steve frowned and gave a small nod.  “I’ve got a piece in my glove compartment.  Didn’t think I’d need it so soon, but in the text, you told me to be prepared for anything.”

            Brock shrugged.  “Good. Make sure you bring it with you.  You probably won’t need it, but… we don’t exactly want to take any chances.”

            “Makes sense,” Steve said as he unlocked the car.  Brock opened the passenger side door as Steve walked over to the driver’s side.  

            Steve entered the car and turned it on.  He hadn’t been expecting Brock to be supervising him throughout the process.  That definitely changed things. He’d have to seem much more confident and sure of himself than he felt.  

            Steve opened the envelope.  He read it over a few times to make sure that he wasn’t having a stroke.  “You guys deal with state senators?”

            Brock shrugged.  “I told Rollins to give you something a little more interesting.  I told everyone that I had a good feeling about you.”

            “Are you sure you’re not just trying to get me killed here?” Steve asked sarcastically.  “Threatening state Senator Stern seems like a surefire way to make sure that I end up either dead or in jail.”

            Brock laughed harshly at that.  “Don’t worry. Stern won’t be reporting anything unless he wants all his scandals to see the light of day.”

            Steve sighed as he pulled away from the curb.  This meant that Hydra’s reach was far broader than anyone in the department believed it to be.  If they had a senator under their thumb, who knew how far their influence ran. “What exactly do you guys want with senators?  Legislation seems to be pretty intense for a street gang.”

            Rumlow shrugged.  “I don’t ask questions.  It’s part of why I’m still here.  You might want to adopt the same attitude, Stevens.”

            Steve closed his mouth.  He didn’t want to ruin things… not yet.  “Sorry,” he muttered. “I just find it a little odd is all.”

            “Don’t worry about it, kid.  It’s natural to be curious. Hydra isn’t exactly typical,” Brock said.

            Steve smiled politely as he focused on driving and tried not to think about how he was supposed to go threaten a senator as part of a gang initiation.  Hydra certainly did not go about things the typical way. He wasn’t expecting it to be easy, but threatening a senator on the first day was pretty intense.

            They pulled up to the office and Steve put the car in park.  He looked over to Brock. “Is there anything I’m supposed to do specifically?  I’m just collecting his late payment, right?”

            Brock gave him a smile, but then shrugged.  “The ball is in your court, Stevens. You’ve gotta decide how this goes down.”

            Steve gulped.  No pressure there or anything.  Steve opened the glove compartment and took out his gun.  He put it in the waistband of his jeans as he got out of the car.  

Brock got out of the car too and looked over to him.  “Feel free to take a second and get yourself together.  There isn’t exactly a time limit here.”

            Steve snorted.  “Yeah well, it’s gotta be done by the end of the night right?  Otherwise, I shouldn’t even bother.”

            Rumlow laughed at that--genuinely laughed.  “Rollins is such a hardass. Don’t worry about it, half those guys won’t even try to get it done period.  Don’t stress over it, Stevens.”

            Steve made a face.  How was he supposed to not stress over it?  He was about to go shake down a civil servant to infiltrate a gang.  If there was ever a time to be stressed this was it. Steve let out a breath and gave Brock a quick nod.  It was now or never.

            Brock grinned approvingly as they began making their way over to the entrance of the office.  Steve began looking inside the window to determine whether or not the senator was alone. He must have had some sort of security, and Steve wasn’t entirely sure how he was supposed to get around that.  

            Brock was just watching him as Steve continued to see if he could get a look at anyone inside the building.  No luck. He couldn’t see a soul inside. They must have been where the windows didn’t reach. He was going in blind.

            “Do you know anything about his security detail?” Steve asked as he walked over to Brock.

            “He’s got two men with him at almost all times… unless you can secure a private audience with him,” Brock said smugly.  

            Steve paused.  This was beginning to feel like a setup.  How in the hell was he supposed to get a private audience with a senator?  Maybe they had made him. Maybe Brock had been on to him the entire time.

            “Are they armed?” Steve asked dumbly.  He already knew the answer to his question, Brock had asked if he had a piece for a reason.

            “More likely than not,” Rumlow said matter-of-factly.

            Steve bit his tongue as he put his hands on his hips.  “How much are you actually able to help me with if this goes sideways?”

            Brock crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow.  “What do you mean?”

            “If I have to go toe to toe with these guys, will you have my six?” Steve asked.  He wasn’t sure if he could actually trust Brock in _any_ capacity but his options seemed pretty limited.

            Brock broke into a full on grin.  Steve wasn’t sure if he found it comforting or frightening.  “I’ve got your six, Stevens. That’s the first rule of Hydra.  It’s a brotherhood. You’re asking the right questions here. Now you’ve just gotta act on that.”

            Steve frowned.  He wasn’t sure that he could trust Brock’s answer.  If he was to believe him, then Hydra was looking at a show of good faith.  They wanted to be trusted. Brock had mentioned something to Steve in the bar about being loyal.  Fury and Danvers weren’t kidding there really was a cult like mentality here. Hydra wasn’t just looking for good criminals, they were looking for loyal ones.

            Steve took a deep breath and reach around to feel for his gun.  He wasn’t going to take it out just yet. Brock had made it seem as though they might be able to secure a private audience with the senator.  That wouldn’t happen if they went in guns blazing.

            He glanced over at Brock, who gave him an encouraging nod.  Steve began walking towards the entrance of the office. He opened the door and entered the lobby.  There wasn’t anyone there as far as he could see. He continued down a narrow hall that must have led to the actual offices.  He glanced over his shoulder at Brock. He gave a nod and Steve took that to mean he was headed in the right direction.

            Steve continued down the hall until he saw that one of the offices near the end of the corridor had light slipping through the cracks in the door frame.  They must have been inside that one. He took one last deep breath before opening up the door.

            The senator was there along with the two members of his security detail just as Brock said.  Their eyes shot up to where he was standing the doorway. The security guards each took two steps closer to him and Steve had a moment of clarity.  He had to play the game. Hydra operated in the shadows, not out in the open. “Senator Stern. I’m here on behalf of Mr. Rollins. I hope I’m not too early for our appointment.”

            It was then that Brock stepped out from behind Steve into the office.  “Forgive the intrusion, Mr. Senator. He’s new.”

            The senator looked between the two of them before he gave a nod to his security.  “Our meeting must have slipped my mind.” He turned back to the guards. “If you could excuse us for a few moments…”

            They nodded back as they exited the office.  Steve finally released a breath that he had been holding in since he had entered the office.  He hadn’t expected to make it to this point.

            “Really, Rumlow?” Stern asked shaking his head.  “I’m being used for initiation now?”

            Rumlow crossed his arms.  “If that vote had went differently, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”

            Stern made a face.  “I can’t predict how the other senators will vote.  I swayed more voters than we had before--”

            “That doesn’t do us much good, though, does it?”  Brock raised an eyebrow.

            Steve looked between the two.  He wasn’t sure if he was supposed to be saying anything or just spectating.  This was new territory.

            Stern shook his head.  “What’s the ask here? Pierce wouldn’t have sent you with a recruit if this was an assassination.  Especially not when I have a security detail right outside the door.”

            “Hydra’s reach has no bounds,” Brock said confidently.  “Who’s to say those gentlemen right outside aren’t Hydra?  If that’s a gamble you’re willing to take, be my guest.”

            Steve froze.  If Rumlow was about to assassinate a senator, he’d be obligated to bring him in.  If those two guards outside really were Hydra, that would be an even larger complication.  This was intense for a gang initiate to be witnessing.

            Stern frowned as he sat back in his seat.  “Is there an ask, Brock?”

            Brock took out an envelope from his pocket and handed it to the senator.  “You’re going to make this project a reality… by whatever means necessary.  Otherwise Hydra is going to have to evaluate whether or not you are a valuable asset.”

            Stern swallowed as he took the envelope from Brock.  He gave a nod. “Hail Hydra.”

            “Hail Hydra,” Brock said back.  He looked to Steve expectantly.

            Steve felt his face flush.  “... Hail Hydra.”

 

 


	7. Chapter 6

[ ](http://imgbox.com/9o884cGy)

            Steve was driving Brock back to the house where he’d received the assignment.  They were in a tense silence. Steve wasn’t sure what had actually went down in there, but it was a far cry from what he had been expecting.

            Rumlow groaned as he leaned back against the seat.  “What’s on your mind, Stevens? I can see the wheels turning in that brain of yours.  Just ask.”

            Steve sighed.  “This is just more… hardcore than I was expecting.  Threatening senators… it wasn’t exactly what I thought I had to look forward to.”

            “But are you up for it?” Brock asked.

            Steve took a deep breath.  “If I say no, do you have to kill me?” Steve snarked.  He laughed incredulously. “I just mean--yeah. I’m up for it, it was just more than I was expecting.”

            “Are you certain?  Hydra is… it’s a brotherhood, Stevens.  If you’re not up for it--”

            “I am,” Steve said confidently.  “Believe me, I’m all for being a part of something bigger than myself.  I served in the army. I’m all for brotherhood. I just didn’t know what to expect.  You can’t blame a guy for being a little overwhelmed.”

            Brock grinned and shoved Steve’s shoulder approvingly.  “Take a right up here,” he pointed to the intersection.

            “That’s not the way to the house,” Steve said, his brow furrowing.

            Brock shrugged.  “Trust me?”

            Not in the slightest, but Steve obliged.  He made the turn. “You’re gonna take the third left,” Brock said not even looking at the road.

            Steve obeyed.  He took the next turn.  He wasn’t going to ask any more questions.  He was just blindly following Brock’s instructions.  Until they reached a different house. This was far nicer than the first place.  Steve didn’t think he’d ever be able to live in a house this grand. Where the hell were they?

            “Where are we?” Steve asked as he got out of the car, closing the door behind him.

            “Pit stop,” Brock said as he motioned towards the house.  “Let’s go in.”

            Steve frowned as he followed Brock up the steps to the front door.  Brock knocked three times… then six… then twice. The door opened and they stepped inside.  Clearly this was another Hydra base of some kind.

            Brock led him down a hall.  They were passing countless men and women, Brock not bothering to speak to any of them.  Steve had no clue what to think of any of this. The whole thing was wild.

            They entered a room that was being used as an office.  There was an older man sitting at the desk. Two people were sitting in chairs across from him, and a masked figure was standing  behind him. What the hell was this?

            “Sorry to interrupt, but I know you told me to come by if things progressed the way we wanted them to,” Brock said.

            The older man nodded.  He looked to the other two men sitting across from him.  We’ll table the rest of this discussion for a later date.  You’re dismissed.”

            They nodded as they stood up and left the room.  Steve wasn’t sure where to look. He settled on looking at the masked figure.  He was the only one in this whole ordeal who bothered to hide their identity. Why was that?

            “This is Roger Stevens.” Brock motioned to him.  “He saved my ass a few weeks back. He wants to join us.  He passed the test tonight. Just like I told you he would.  What do you think?”

            The man leaned back in his chair.  “So this is the one you’ve been talking about.  He certainly doesn’t look the part. He seems a bit clean cut for us.”

            “I’m fresh out of the army, sir,” Steve spoke up.  “The grooming is a habit. I’ve been having a rough time getting on my feet since I’ve been stateside.  Brock has been a huge help, and I appreciate everything you’ve all done for me already. I just hope that I can return the favor.”

            The man raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued.  He looked back to Brock. “Promising.”

            Brock nodded.  “I’m glad you agree.”

            “You know the next step, Brock.”  The man looked back to Steve. The masked figure behind him was staring right at him.  “Roger, I’m sure I’ll be seeing you soon.”

            Steve walked over and shook his hand.  “It was a pleasure, sir.”

            Rumlow laughed at that as he motioned to the door.  “C’mon, Stevens. Rollins is gonna be waiting for us.”

            Steve nodded as he walked out of the room.  Brock was close behind as Steve slowly navigated his way out of the home.  He must have met the head of Hydra. He didn’t get a name, but he had a face to face.  That was something.

            Once they got back to the car, Steve took a deep breath.  “That was intense.”

            Brock laughed.  “You did great, Stevens.  Trust me. This was good for you.”

            “Are you sure?  I don’t think he was too impressed,” Steve said as he turned the car back on.

            “You’re still standing here, Stevens.  He was impressed.” Brock shook his head as he laughed again.  

            Steve frowned at that.  “I didn’t realize that day one was life or death.on day one, Brock.”

            “It’s not,” Brock barked.  “Well… not for most people.  You did me a favor so I talked you up.  Pierce was intrigued. He wanted to meet you in the flesh.  I don’t exactly give recommendations too often.”

            “You must be a pretty big deal around here if your word is worth this much,” Steve said honestly.  His intel didn’t indicate that Brock was this big of a deal. To say it was surprising was an understatement.

            Brock shrugged.  “I wouldn’t say that.  I’ve just been around for a while.  They know I’m loyal. Loyalty goes a long way around here.  Keep that in mind, Stevens.”

            Steve nodded as he started to make his way back to the house where the night began.  Steve wasn’t sure what else could possibly happen that night. He’d already threatened a senator and been introduced to the man who was likely the head of Hydra.  Why did he need to go back to the house to check in?

            “I’m about to assassinate the president, am I?”  Steve asked as he parked the car in front of the house.

            Brock laughed harshly at that.  “This is just a formality, Stevens.”

            Steve raised an eyebrow.  “That didn’t exactly answer my question, Brock.”

            “Relax, Stevens.  The hard part is over here,”Brock said reassuringly.  “That said, you’ve still gotta show up and wait for the next assignment just like everybody else.  There’s no special treatment in Hydra. At least, not until you’ve earned it.”

            Steve nodded even though he really didn’t understand.  Clearly he’d just received some sort of special treatment by getting to meet the boss before everyone else.  Still, he didn’t press the issue. He got out of the car and Brock followed closely behind him. He wondered if anyone else had a chaperone to help them throughout this.

            They walked around back to the same place where Steve had been given his envelope.  Steve had to wonder now if that had been planned. Was he specifically chosen to blackmail the high profile senator, or was everyone on the list high profile?

            The man-- Rollins was standing in the same spot as when they’d left.  Steve was the only of the initiates who was there. He wasn’t sure if he had taken longer than the others or finished up faster.  Regardless it was just him and Rollins.

            Rollins didn’t even look at him.  He glanced up at Brock. Steve looked over his shoulder to see Brock give him an approving nod.  He must have passed whatever test this was as Rollins seemed to relax.

            “Come back tomorrow night.  Same time,” Rollins said, unmoving.

            Steve nodded nervously.  “Ye--yeah. Great. Thank you!”

            Brock chuckled, shaking his head as Steve’s eyes darted right to him.  “C’mon, Stevens.” He motioned to the gate that they had just arrived through.  “Before we wise up and change our minds.”

            Steve smiled apologetically as he followed Brock through the gate.  This was good. He was one step closer. He’d met one of the heads of the gang on his first night out.  This was panning out to be better than Steve could have imagined.

 

 


	8. Chapter 7

[ ](http://imgbox.com/vKqlG83H)

            The next few weeks consisted of Steve running mundane tasks for Hydra.  There were a few more drug drops as well as some more collections, but he didn’t seem to be making much headway.  Brock reassured him that this was all part of the process, trust was earned not given. Still, it was disheartening that he had next to nothing of substance to report back to Danvers after being undercover for the better part of a month.

            He was beginning to wonder if this course of action would be the most beneficial in bringing down Hydra.  They certainly were not quick to trust and Steve was almost certain that it would take years for him to actually learn enough about any of the big shots for it to be of any consequence.  

            Steve was getting back to his apartment when his burner phone buzzed.  He was certain that it was another errand for him to run. He rolled his eyes as he flipped the phone open.  Sure enough, it was a message from Brock.

            “ _Stevens.  Meeting. Same address.  Be there an hour earlier.  Things are finally coming along.”_

            Steve wasn’t sure what to think of that.  Brock certainly seemed optimistic about whatever this meeting was about.  That said, it had to be some sort of progress. Steve hadn’t been invited to attend or sprectate any meetings yet.  This was a step in the right direction.

            Steve followed Brock’s directions and arrived at the same house as the first night.  There were a lot more cars outside this time around. He wondered to himself who actually owned this place and whether or not anyone even lived there.  He couldn’t picture this place as someone’s home.

            He went to walk around the back as usual, when Brock poked his head out the front door.  “What are you doing, Stevens?”

            “You told me to come,” Steve said, feeling deflated.  Did he misunderstand something? Was the text not meant for him?  He felt like an idiot.

            “Yeah,” Brock said.  “You can come through the front.  The back is only for assignments. This is a meeting.  You can come sit with the grown ups now.”

            Steve paused and glanced towards the back gate.  This was unfamiliar territory. Steve smiled tightly before he followed Brock’s lead and walked up the small stoop to the front door.  Brock smirked at him as he entered the small house. It wasn’t what he was expecting.

            It was so ordinary.  He was in a living room where there were a few people he didn’t recognize watching television.  Brock led him to the back area of the home where there was a dining area. Where there were a few of the men sitting.  Standing off in the corner was the masked man that he had seen at the other house. What was he doing here? What was with the mask?

            Rollins looked up from the table and made eye contact with Steve.  He motioned to one of the chairs. Steve looked back to Rumlow for approval.  Rumlow laughed harshly and shoved Steve playfully towards the chair. Steve took a seat and Rumlow sat beside him.  Steve glanced around the table. He didn’t recognize anyone other than Rollins, Rumlow and the masked man. He must have been the only initiate to move forward at this time.  He wasn’t sure what to make of that.

            Rollins cleared his throat and stood up.  “We’ve decided to move forward with Zola’s new formula.  Thanks to Stevens and Rumlow, Stern has been able to make getting the new substance in much easier.  You’re all here because you need to help with the transport.” He glanced over his shoulder to the masked man.  “The soldier will be overseeing and giving updates to Pierce. Failure is not an option here.”

            The soldier.  That was the closet Steve had gotten to a name.  He couldn’t help but question the secrecy. No one else had bothered to conceal their identities.  Sure there were names that were used in the street, Rumlow was none by Crossbones, but he hadn’t had any idea who the soldier was.  Hell--even Pierce went by Pierce. Sure it was a common enough name, but Steve had seen his face and had a last name. That was something.  With the soldier he knew nothing.

            Rollins looked around the table.  “Everyone is going to be an integral part of making sure the new product gets here.  Some of you will go out of state. Others will be staying more local. It is imperative that we make sure that we do not attract attention from local law enforcement.  If that means causing distractions then so be it. Nothing is more imperative than making sure that the product gets here without attracting the eye of the law. Rumlow, Stevens, and the soldier will be the ones driving it in the last stretch.  After we reach each state line, we’re changing vehicles to not attract any attention. We need to make sure that our license plates are matching the states. Sitwell and Zemo will be making sure that we get the car and will be there to create any necessary diversions from the police.  Between now and when this goes into motion in a week, I need you to be here every night. Pierce has been orchestrating the other operatives across the country. He and the soldier will be giving us updates. We’re going to use these updates to stay as prepared as possible. I don’t like any surprises and this should help us deter them.”

            “Copy that,” Rumlow said.  The chair creaked as he leaned back and crossed his arms.  “Stevens and I got this. We’ll be here.”

            Steve nodded in agreement.  There was no way that he was going to miss this.  This was a front row seat to everything they were doing.  Hopefully this would give him something substantial to report to Danvers and Fury.

            The next several days consisted of planning in the pseudo war room/dining room area.  It was mostly just reviewing the same exact points that were made during the first meeting.  Every so often there was a new yet mundane detail that Rollins was taking very seriously for some reason.  Steve paid close attention during each meeting. He was not going to miss a single detail for this. He needed to keep their trust and keep a record of this for when he was finally able to make a move with Danvers.

            Steve had a hard time believing that they would trust him to complete a task that important. He was still new meat after all.  This must have still been another test. They saw that he was trustworthy enough to handle lower level stuff, it was time for him to prove that he could be trusted with the more serious tasks.

            It was finally time for them to enact the plan.  Steve was riding shotgun with Brock; the soldier was sitting in the back.  He hadn’t made a sound since… well… come to think of it, Steve wasn’t sure that he’d ever heard the soldier say anything… ever.

            He glanced in the rearview mirror.  The soldier was just staring blankly at the road in front of them. Weird.  They were currently waiting in some parking lot near a train station. They were waiting for the package to make its way to them.  They’d already been there for about two hours. Brock didn’t seem too concerned though. Steve was just trying to keep his cool. If he ran into anyone who knew him from his day job this could go sideways.  He wasn’t sure he could talk his way out of that.

            Steve glanced over his shoulder as he noticed a car approaching.  Brock tapped Steve’s shoulder. “You gotta be a little more subtle than that.”

            Steve smiled apologetically.  “I’ll work on that.”

            Steve glanced in the side view mirror to get a look at the car.  Someone was definitely getting out. Steve instinctively grasped the handle of his pistol.  He wasn’t going to use it if he didn’t have to, but he had no idea what to expect here. Hydra didn’t obtain their reputation by playing nicely.

            Brock, on the other hand, appeared to be cool as a cucumber.  Nothing about the situation seemed to be raising any red flags.  Steve glanced in the rearview mirror again to try and see what was going on in the soldier’s head.  Nothing. He was still just staring straight ahead of them. Steve didn’t have the energy to try and figure out what that was about.

            The figure from the other car was approaching the vehicle.  “Heading this way,” Steve muttered as he continued to watch them closely in the side view mirror.  “How should we play this.”

            Brock looked over to him.  He put his hand on Steve’s forearm.  “At ease, Stevens. This isn’t a fire fight.  If anyone has any questions, we’re just waiting for a friend to come off the train.  We play this like we’re just minding our own business… because we are.”

            Steve hesitantly took his hand off the pistol. Clearly, Brock wasn’t worried.  He should take his lead from him. It wasn’t as though Steve had a ton of experience in this area.  Before he could open his mouth to respond, the figure was tapping on Brock’s window.

            Brock didn’t look over at Steve as he said.  “Let me handle this, Stevens.” He slowly rolled down the window.  He glanced over to the figure, appearing uninterested. “You need directions or something?”

            The guy bent down and rest his forearms on the window.  Steve slowly moved his hand back to the glock as he watching another figure appear from the car.  He kept his eyes on the figure in the mirror. This was just supposed to be a delivery, yet he couldn’t help but feel as though they were being set up.

            The figure got closer and closer.  Steve wasn’t even paying attention to what was going on in the conversation Brock was having.  He couldn’t exactly bring it to his attention subtly. Steve watched as the figure approached his side.  Steve went to make a move for his gun, when he felt someone grab his shoulder from behind.

            He looked behind him.  The soldier was holding his shoulder firmly.  “It’s all right. He’s got the package.” The soldier muttered.  His voice wa far softer than Steve ever would have imagined it would be.  How could a voice be gentle and raspy at the same time. It was as if it was the first time the soldier had spoken in days.

            Steve blinked as he looked back at the soldier.  He took his hand off the gun again and the soldier finally released his arm.  Steve glanced into the soldier’s blue eyes. Something about him was so familiar.  He just couldn’t put his finger on it.

            He looked back to Brock who was looking between the two of them.  Steve cleared his throat. “Sorry, just a bit nervous.”

            Brock nodded warily as he glanced between the two of them one last time.  He got out of the car and motioned for Steve to follow. Steve got out of the car and smiled politely to the figure standing outside his door.  He followed Brock and the two strangers back to their car. One of them popped open the trunk. He grabbed something out of it and slammed it shut.  He handed the case over to Brock.

            “Have a safe trip back,” Brock said as he shook his hand.

            “You as well,” the man said.  “Hail Hydra.”

            “Hail Hydra,” they all said in unison.  Steve had to admit that the cult mentality was the one aspect that Steve couldn’t quite understand.  Not that it mattered. His job was to bring them down, not understand the psychology behind the crazy.  

            They got back in the car.  Brock handed the briefcase to the soldier.  His head shot over to Steve. “Did you get that out of your system?  The idea to keep a low profile. Having a shootout in a train station parking lot is not a low profile.”

            “I’m sorry,” Steve said.  “It won’t happen again.”

            Brock frowned.  “Is your head clear?  If it’s not, I’ll ride shotgun and you’ll drive.  I need to make sure that you’re not too distracted to have my six.”

            Steve frowned.  He took a breath and nodded.  “Yeah. I’m good. I’ve got this.”

            Brock gave him a look.  “It’s okay if you want to take a beat.  I get that you’ve be thrown in head first here, Stevens.  We can’t afford to fuck this up. If you want to take a minute or if you want to drive, there’s no shame in saying so.”

            Steve paused.  He needed to show that he had a clear head and he’d failed miserably at it before.  This was his chance to prove that it was just a fluke. He nodded more confidently this time.  “Yeah. I’m sure. You can trust me.”

            “Okay,” Rumlow said as he began backing out the parking spot.  Steve was essentially the lookout. If anything looked suspicious, his job was to alert the other crew that they needed a distraction.  He needed to make sure that his head was clear, otherwise he could compromise the entire operation.

            Steve managed to keep his cool as they made their way back to the house.  Nothing looked too suspicious and Steve was almost certain that no one was following them.  He’d gotten good at detecting this sort of thing. When he first started his undercover gig, he wanted to make sure that he was aware of whoever Hydra sent to tail him.  He’d caught them on a number of occasions. There didn’t seem to be anything setting off any red flags.

            They made it back to the house in one piece.  They weren’t followed, there was no indication that anyone in the area had the slightest idea about this.  Steve wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. It made his undercover gig easier, but it was frightening to think about how little law enforcement knew about the going ons of this criminal organization.

            Brock barely looked at him as they pulled into the driveway.  He got out of the car without uttering a single word to him. Steve rubbed his forehead.  He played this wrong. All of this would be for nothing if he got himself killed. This was supposed to be an undercover job, not a suicide mission.

            Steve took a deep breath as the soldier tapped him lightly on the shoulder.  He didn’t say anything but Steve was almost certain that it was supposed to be comforting.  It only added more to the mystery that was the soldier. The only person here who wore a mask and the only one who was exclusively known by an alias.  Steve couldn’t figure him out.

            Steve got out of the car and the soldier followed, taking the briefcase with him.  Steve wasn’t sure whether or not he even wanted to discover what was inside it. He hadn’t found enough evidence to bring down the entire organization.  If this was something detrimental he’d have to turn them in, and all it would really succeed in doing is delaying Hydra rather than eliminating them.

 

 


	9. Chapter 8

[ ](http://imgbox.com/TVoIUAro)

            Steve wasn’t actually one of the few members of the gang that was permitted to see the contents of the briefcase.  He wasn’t sure whether that was a positive or negative, but at least it maintained his undercover status.

            Brock seemed to have gotten over Steve’s blunder, because Steve was still being sent on errands.  He just hadn’t been welcomed back to the more serious conversations yet. Maybe he needed to wait for another chance to prove himself.

            And it seemed like he might just be getting another opportunity to prove himself.  He got a text from Brock a few weeks after their delivery run. He was supposed to meet him at an address.  He just hoped that he wasn’t being sent there to be executed. He wasn’t sure why they’d want to get rid of him, but if Hydra had politicians in their pocket, it was possible that there could be a mole in Fury’s taskforce.

            Steve arrived at the address.  Upon pulling up to the house, he realized that he had been there before.  This was where he had met Pierce on the night he and Brock had blackmailed the Senator.  This was a nicer area than the other house. It would definitely draw more attention if he was killed here than at the other place.  That was some comfort.

            Steve took a deep breath.  He glanced around. There were a few other cars sitting in front of the house.  At least he wasn’t going to be alone. He got out of the car and began making his way over to the door.  

            “Hey,” he heard someone from behind him.  Steve turned from where he was standing on the porch.  Brock was walking over to him. Steve still wasn’t sure what to make of the whole situation.

            “Hey,” Steve said back to him.  “What is this?”

            Brock gave him a serious look.  “This is it, Stevens. Once you walk in there… there’s no turning back.  Make sure you’re game. Make sure you really believe in the cause here. After this… there is nothing other than Hydra.”

            Steve’s brow furrowed.  He put his hands on his hips.  He shook his head for a moment, before looking back at Brock.  “I thought initiation was that night… with Stern.”

            Brock’s expression lightened a bit at that.  “That was just the first step. The first _real_ step.  This is the last step.  I’m serious. If you’re not game, head out now.  There’s no leaving after this.”

            Steve nodded.  “I’m ready, Brock.”

            Brock didn’t look convinced.  “Are you sure? That day in the car… you seemed a little on edge.  If this was just a way to make petty cash, then I can talk to them.  I’m sure they’ll be more than happy to keep you around as an errand boy.  We all have our roles to play. We just think that you can be something bigger.  If you don’t want that… it’s okay. We understand. Hydra asks a lot.”

            Steve shook his head again.  “I don’t want to be a delivery boy, Rumlow.  I want more. I’m game. What happened in the car… it won’t happen again.”

            Brock clapped him on the shoulder.  “All right. I’ll see you on the other side, then.”  He turned around and started towards his car.

            “You’re not coming?” Steve asked.

            Brock glanced over his shoulder.  “No. This is just for the initiates.  I just came by to wish you luck and make sure your heart was in it.”

            Steve sighed.  “Thank you, Brock.  I appreciate it… everything.”

            Brock smiled tightly.  “You’ve got this, Stevens.  Just don’t make us regret it.”

            “You have my word,” Steve lied.  The whole point of us was to make Brock and the rest of them regret ever letting Steve through the front door.  Steve opened the front door and walked inside it.

            There were a few other men there.  Some Steve recognized from that first night.  Others he’d never seen before. That said, there really didn’t appear to be any of the other big guys there.  Maybe it really was just for initiates only.

            Steve walked over to the table where they were all sitting.  He took a seat in one of the few open spots at the table. Steve glanced around the table.  The facial expressions of his fellow initiates were similar. They all either looked nervous or confused.  Steve definitely felt as though he could sympathize. He was definitely a combination of both.

            After waiting around for about a half hour, Rollins walked into the room.  As if on cue, they all stood up to greet him. Steve was surprised to find that he automatically stood up too.  When had that been conditioned?

            Rollins waved at them dismissively.  “Sit down.”

            Like robots, they all sat down on command, Steve included.  Their eyes never left Rollins, who had become their murderous den mother throughout this entire ordeal.  There was this weird trust that Steve felt exuding from his counterparts towards the man. It was probably because Rollins’s presence was one of the few constants throughout this process.

            “We’ve asked a lot of you since you started with us a month ago,” Rollins said, his face showing no emotion.  “This is probably going to be the biggest thing that we ask of you. After this… you are officially Hydra. There is no going back from here.  Similarly to the first night we met, you will all be given an envelope with your assignment. If you are unsuccessful… I wouldn’t bother coming back.”

            Steve felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up.  If this was a hit, he’d have to go back to Danvers right now.  He wouldn’t be able to stick it out undercover anymore. He wasn’t about to murder anyone over this.

            Rollins started calling them up one by one.  Steve watched as his comrades were each being called up to receive their assignments.  After a little while of this, Steve was getting anxious. He still hadn’t been called to receive his assignment, and there were fewer and fewer people in the room.  What if this really was an execution? What if Brock was trying to warn him before? They _had_ formed a friendship of sorts

            Steve waited until he was the last one standing there with Rollins.  The envelopes were gone. This was it. They had figured him out and they were going to kill hm.  This had all just been a ruse to trick him. It had worked.

            “Stevens,” Rollins said.  “Your assignment is a little bit different than the others.”

            The soldier walked into the room.  He stood behind Rollins. Maybe the soldier was going to be the one to deliver his sentence.

            “The soldier asked if he could be the one to carry out your initiation.  You seem to have impressed him during your last assignment. Pierce and I felt it was a good idea,” Rollins said, sill stone faced.

            Steve looked between Rollins and the soldier.  He wasn’t sure which of the two he was more terrified of at the moment.  “I don’t understand,” Steve said after a moment.

            “This is a good thing, Stevens.  The soldier has never taken an interest in an initiate before.  You should be proud,” Rollins said as he crossed his arms.

            Steve nodded nervously.  “I… I am. I’m just--”

            “Go with the soldier, Stevens,” Rollins said sternly.

            The soldier motioned to the doorway.  Steve nervously made his way out of the room.  This was… he wasn’t sure what to think of it. He definitely was not reassured.  His performance with the formula was… it was a blunder. Brock had been pissed about the whole thing.  It was pretty far-fetched for him to think that the soldier was genuinely impressed.

            The soldier tapped his shoulder.  Steve glanced over to him. The soldier didn’t say anything.  He just motioned to the grand staircase. Steve took the hint and made his way up the steps.  He’d never been to the second floor. Not that he should have been; this was only the second time that he’d ever been there.  Still, he had no idea what he was walking into.

            Once they reached the top of the steps, the soldier led Steve down the hall to the last room in the corridor.  The soldier opened and looked at Steve expectantly. Steve entered the room.

            Steve wasn’t sure what he was expecting.  This wasn’t it. The room was… it was essentially bare, with the exception of a bed and a mini fridge.  There was nothing. Was this where the soldier lived? The thought made him sick to his stomach. Steve had always thought of the soldier as a well-respected member of this organization.  If this was where he lived, he might have been some sort of victim to this gang.

            Steve was snapped out of his thoughts by the sound of the lock clicking into place.  He watched as the soldier turned away from the door to face him.

            “What is this?” Steve asked.  He looked back at the door. He wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon, that was clear.

            The soldier didn’t respond.  He just grabbed Steve’s wrist and led him over to the bed.  Steve felt his heart sink. Was… was his initiation meant to be sexual?  He hadn’t considered that possibility, and he definitely wasn’t sure how he felt about that.

            “I’m sorry.  I don’t understand,” Steve said.  He glanced around the room again, maybe he was missing something.

            The soldier shook his head.  He reached behind his own head and unclasped his mask.  Steve felt his heart rate begin to pick up. Was this one of those situations where the soldier was going to reveal his identity only to kill him for it, or was that only something that happened in movies?

            The soldier took his mask and tossed it on the ground next to the bed.  Steve froze. No. It couldn’t be. He hadn’t seen him years. This wasn’t possible.

            “Do you know me?” The soldier--no not the soldier--he asked his voice was coarse and broken.  How long had it been since he’d last spoken?

            Steve stared at him. “Bucky.”

            “Gesundheit.”

            Steve blinked.  It was only then when his sight became blurry.  How long had he been crying for? That was new.

            “You’re upset,” Bucky said, there was no emotion behind it.  “I didn’t mean to--”

            “How are you here?” Steve asked, this time it was his voice that cracked.  “It’s been years… they said you… I thought you were dead.”

            His brow furrowed.  “I’m sorry. I… I know you but... I don’t remember.”

            “We were… I loved you… and you loved me… and then you… you went missing,” Steve like he was floating.  This wasn’t possible. Bucky had been gone for so long. “Do you really not remember?”

            The soldier-- _Bucky_ stared at him blankly.  “I’m sorry. I get flashes… dreams.  I see you sometimes. Then you showed up and… I… I asked to take over your initiation.”

            Steve closed his eyes for a moment.  He knelt down in front of Bucky. “What did they do to you?”  He was practically pleading with him. “Just tell me what they did, and I’ll take you away from here.  We can go home. You don’t have to stay here… with these people in this place.”

            Bucky shook his head.  “You don’t understand. They…”  He paused and took a breath. “Hydra saved me, Stevens… that doesn’t sound right.  It doesn’t fit.”

            Steve froze.  Right. He was here for a reason.  He was undercover. Bucky seemed to have already drank the Kool-Aid.  Right now, he wasn’t going to be able to reach him. The only way to save him right now, would be to lie to him.

            “That’s my name.  Roger Stevens. You… you used to call me Stevie as a nickname,” Steve said slowly, hoping that the nickname wouldn’t trigger something.

            Bucky nodded.  “Stevie. That sounds better.  Roger doesn’t fit you.”

            “It’s a family name,” Steve lied.  “I can’t believe it’s really you. You’ve been here this entire time.”

            Bucky’s face broke into a small smile.  His eyes… there was so much pain there. What had they done to him?  His Bucky was so much more… carefree. He’d kill every single one of them for this.  

            Bucky right hand moved to Steve’s face and he began stroking his cheek gently with his thumb.  Steve closed his eyes and leaned into the touch. It felt like just yesterday he and Bucky were doing this in Steve’s bedroom.

            Bucky took his other arm and grasped Steve’s wrist.  He tugged slightly and Steve took that as his cue to stand up.  It was remarkable. Bucky was menacing. The other members of Hydra were clearly intimidated by him, and yet here he was, being so soft and gentle with him.  What had they done to his sweet soul?

            Steve stood up, and took Bucky’s left, gloved hand in his own.  Bucky’s hand moved from his cheek to the nape of his neck. He pulled Steve close to him and kissed him softly.  It was chaste and sweet, and Steve couldn’t believe that it was real. He would have given anything to have Bucky back, and here he was.  

            “Is this okay?” Bucky asked quietly.  “We don’t have to do anything… for your initiation.  I can just tell them we did.”

            Steve nodded.  “I want to… I mean, if you want to.  I just--I’ve missed you so much, Buck.”

            Bucky kissed him again, just as sweetly as the first time.  “There’s a reason I asked Pierce if I could have you. I thought if it was a dead end… then at least we could. . .”  his voice trailed off.

            Steve grinned as he kneeled on the bed, one knee on either side of Bucky.  He kissed him deeply this time. The only thing that mattered was Bucky. Their tongues danced as Bucky flipped them over in one fluid motion.  Steve was on his back as Bucky began nibbling as his neck and making his way down to his chest. When he reached the hem of Steve’s shirt, he wasted no time with pleasantries.  He literally tore the shirt from Steve’s torso.

            Steve blinked.  This was definitely a different Bucky than he remembered.  Still, it didn’t matter, he was just so happy to have Bucky with him.  He went to pull Bucky’s shirt up, when everything stopped abruptly. Bucky grabbed his hand tightly, and Steve released the fabric.

            “Everything okay?” Steve asked.  “We really don’t… if you don’t want to do anything, we don’t have to, Buck.”

            Bucky paused and looked at his hand where it was tightly wrapped around Steve’s wrist.  He released it and got off the bed. “I’m sorry. Are you hurt?”

            Steve stared at him for a moment.  “What? No. My wrist is fine, Buck.  Do you want us to slow down for a second?”

            Bucky frowned as he began pacing back and forth.  “It’s not that.”

            “What’s the matter?” Steve asked patiently.  “You can tell me if something’s bothering you.”

            Bucky let out a breath.  “It’s not…” he huffed. “I just--”  He began pacing again.

            Steve watched him, half amused, half confused.  “We don’t have to talk about it right now. We can talk about something else.”

            “No,” Bucky snapped.  “I’m sorry,” he said softly.  “I don’t want us to stop, I just… I have some scars now.  I know that there are some that you haven’t seen before.”

            Steve’s face fell at that.  “You… I won’t judge, Bucky. If you don’t feel comfortable though, you don’t have to take your shirt off if you don’t want to.  I can’t imagine what you’ve been through, Buck.”

            Bucky froze for a moment before his face relaxed.  He smiled softly at him, as he walked back over to the bed.  “How are you even better than I remember?”

            Steve felt his face redden at that.  “You never have to feel uncomfortable around me, Bucky.”

            Bucky met Steve’s lips softly.  He pulled away and slowly removed his own shirt, and the glove on his left hand.  Steve did his best not to stare. His entire left arm was covered in scars. “Jesus, Buck.  What happened to you?”

            Bucky shrugged.  “I don’t remember.  I was hoping… I thought you might have known where some of them came from.”

            Steve shook his head.  “Well, I guess that’s not completely true.”  He pointed at one on his torso. “This was from when you were hopping a fence to try and sneak into a carnival. You ripped a gash in your shirt and got a nasty cut.  Needless to say, we got caught, and you had an infection for a little while. We were grounded for a while after that.”

            Bucky seemed almost grateful for that story.  His eyes were wide and in awe of the story as Steve told it.  God, what had they done to him?

            “It doesn’t bother you?” Bucky asked.  “These scars?”

            Steve shook his head again.  “Of course it doesn’t bother me.  They’re a part of you, and nothing about you could bother me.”

            Bucky gave him another small smile as he leaned down and began kissing Steve’s torso again.  The kisses were sweet and gentle. It was almost as if he was afraid Steve was so fragile he’d break.  

            He made his way back up to Steve’s lips, kissing them gingerly.  His hands, however, were tugging at the waistband of Steve’s jeans.   He tugged them off. It was much sweeter than the way he took off Steve’s shirt earlier.  

            Before Steve could try and help Bucky out of his own pants, he had kicked them off in one swift motion.  Steve had to admit, it was impressive. He would have tripped over his own two feet had he tried that himself.

            Bucky then brought his attention back to Steve.  He captured Steve’s lips again. Steve felt himself melt into every touch and peck.  The only thing that mattered was Bucky, that was all he could hear, feel, smell, see and taste.  

            Steve gasped into Bucky’s mouth as he felt Bucky’s hand reach beneath the waistband of his boxers and begin stroking him.  Bucky grinned as he nipped at Steve’s chin as he continued his movements.

            Steve brought one hand to the back of Bucky’s head as Bucky began kissing his neck sweetly.    Steve felt himself bucking his hips up into Bucky’s hand as he continued stroking him beneath the boxers.  Bucky smiled into Steve’s skin before he used his free hand to finally removing his boxers completely.

            Steve moaned as Bucky began kissing his way lower and lower down Steve’s torso before finally taking Steve in his mouth.  Steve felt his eyes roll back into his head. Had Bucky always been this talented? He couldn’t remember. The thought that Bucky might have gotten practice here, made him sick to his stomach.  He wasn’t going to harp on it at the moment. He didn’t want to think about the possible horrors that Bucky likely endured at the hands of Hydra.

            Steve slowly sat up a bit as Bucky moved his mouth back up to his neck, before capturing his lips again. Steve took the opportunity to slowly peel Bucky’s boxers off.  It was Bucky’s turn to smile into the kiss. That put Steve’s mind at ease. Regardless of what Bucky may or may not have gone through, he wanted this.

            Bucky’s hand was on the small of Steve’s back as he maneuvered him back on his back.  Steve heard the sound of a cap coming off of a bottle. He glanced up to see Bucky holding a bottle of lubricant.  He didn’t want to think about why Bucky would have that of all things in this almost vacant room. He just wanted to stay in this moment and be happy to have him back without thinking about the reality of their situation.

             Bucky slowly coated his fingers with the lube before slowly sliding one finger inside Steve.  Steve let out a low hiss. It had been a while since he’d done this. After Bucky went missing, he’d just thrown himself into his work.  He hoped that he didn’t mess this up and arrive early like some high schooler.

            Bucky’s eyes darted to Steve.  There was worry in his eyes as his movements halted.  He didn’t say anything, but Steve understood. He wanted to make sure that he was okay.  Steve gave him a nod. Bucky waited a moment to be sure before nodding back and continuing to work his finger in and out of Steve.

            Steve hadn’t even realized that Bucky had slipped another finger inside him until he felt one brush against his prostate.  He immediately arched up.

            Bucky pulled out and rubbed Steve’s thigh soothingly.  “Did I hurt you?”

            Steve shook his head.  “Definitely not hurting right now, Buck.”

            Bucky gave him a skeptical look.  “Are you sure?”

            Steve rolled his eyes.  “I appreciate the concern, but I’m okay.  I’m better than okay, Bucky.”

            Bucky’s expression softened as he replaced his fingers and continued his movements.  Steve found himself getting lost in each touch and minuscule maneuver that Bucky made.  He honestly thought he might be able to stay in that moment forever, until Bucky removed his fingers.

            Steve lifted his head up to see Bucky unwrapping a condom and sliding it on his cock.  Steve watched as Bucky generously covered himself in lubricant. It was sweet, how he was going out of his way to be gentle with him.  

            Bucky slowly entered him, and Steve let out a gasp.  He had forgotten how it felt to be so whole. After giving Steve a moment to adjust, he began to slowly move in and out of him.  Steve was lost in each movement. This was Bucky--he really had him back in the most intimate way possible. When Brock had warned him about showing up today, he never would have imagined that this would be his initiation.

            Steve let out a low moan as Bucky began kissing his neck again, matching the rhythm of his thrusts.  Steve never wanted to leave this moment. The only thing in the world that mattered was him and Bucky.  

            Steve wasn’t sure how long they were like that, but eventually Bucky’s movements became more rough, erratic, and far less rhythmic.  Steve brought his attention to his own erection, tugging here and there trying to match Bucky’s thrusts. They were both so close, and Steve was almost disappointed that they’d have to stop soon.  

            Steve came first, spilling into his hand.  He felt like he was seeing stars. He couldn’t remember ever feeling quite this good before.  Bucky followed not long after, collapsing on top of Steve as he kissed him sweetly.

            Steve watched closely as Bucky gently rolled off of him.  His eyes were even cleared than Steve remembered. Bucky was alive.  He never thought he’d even see him again. Yet here he was. This complicated things.  Steve didn’t care about the case anymore. He couldn’t care less about moving up in the police department.  The only thing that mattered was making sure that he got Bucky away from these people. He needed to bring him home.

 

 


	10. Chapter 9

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            Steve played the game differently after that night.  It didn’t appear as though Bucky had told them about their past, which was at least a sign that Bucky didn’t completely trust them.  That was good. There was a chance that he’d be able to convince him to leave and testify against the others. He had to play this cautiously.  Bucky appeared to be under the impression that Hydra had saved him, rather than condemned him to this sorry excuse of an existence.

            After the initiation, things had changed for Steve within the gang.  He was given more serious assignments. He and Brock would spend their days with Pierce.  Sometimes, planning potential heists or other times just escorting him to and from where he needed to go.  He couldn’t help but sense some hostility coming from the other new initiates. Apparently, Bucky’s recommendation and then subsequent sexual activities had gotten around.  They made it a point to keep him out of any conversations and rec activities. Steve didn’t really care either way. He wasn’t here to make friends.

            One of the other initiates was far more hostile towards him than the others.  Steve wasn’t exactly looking for trouble, but it seemed as though he just couldn’t avoid this guy.  Grant. Grant went out of his way to give him a hard time. Today was no different. When Steve showed up at the house, Grant was waiting outside on the porch.

            Steve walked over to the door, trying his best to just fly under the radar.  Before Steve could grab the handle, Grant stepped in front of the door. “Stevens.”

            Steve sighed as he nodded to Grant and his friends.  “Afternoon.”

            “I’m surprised to see you using the front door like the rest of us,” Grant sneered.  “I thought you spent the night with the soldier every night... or has he gotten bored of you?”

            Steve made a face.  “I don’t know what you want me to tell you, Grant.  I’m just here to do my job--”

            “Crawling into bed with the soldier is part of your job description now?” Grant asked condescendingly.

            Steve just shook his head and tried to push past him to open the door.  He didn’t want to deal with this. “Whatever Hydra wants me to do is what I do.  If that includes the soldier, then that includes the soldier. If you feel differently, I have no problem telling Rumlow or Rollins that your loyalty appears to be wavering.”

            Grant’s eyes narrowed but he took a step away from the door.  “Loyalty? I have an unwavering loyalty to the cause.”

            “Then maybe you shouldn’t question my assignments,” Steve spat as he pushed past Grant and walked through the front door.

            Rumlow, Rollins, and Bucky were off by the table where the initiates had gotten their assignments.  Steve walked over to where they were sitting and took a seat next to Bucky. Rollins was currently talking about some assignment that Steve wasn’t involved in.

            Bucky almost immediately slipped his arm around Steve’s shoulders.  This wasn’t meant to be affectionate or sweet. This was almost possessive.  He was sending a message to Rollins and Rumlow. Steve was his and not to be touched.  

            It was the only form of assertion and potential rebellion that Steve had seen Bucky exert.  Maybe he’d be able to get Bucky to leave with him without needing to do much convincing. Steve subtly leaned into the touch, trying to make each miniscule movement feel natural.  He noticed that Brock and Rollins both eyed him curiously. It was clear that this was new territory for them, however neither of them seemed to want to question the soldier. For that, Steve was grateful.

            As the weeks passed, Bucky’s displays of affection or possession, became increasingly overt.  It seemed that as time passed, Bucky was increasingly afraid of losing him. Steve had to wonder if there was something that Bucky wasn’t telling him, or if this was indicative of what Bucky endured for nearly a decade of being held captive by Hydra.  He hoped it was the first one. He didn’t possess the time or the resources to try and process Bucky’s trauma with him.

            It had been a little over two months when Steve started noticing the nightmares.  Bucky had insisted on Steve spending nights at the house most of the time. Steve didn’t mind, it wasn’t always sexual.  There were many nights like this one, where the two of them would just lay there together. Sometimes they wouldn’t even talk, they just enjoyed each other’s company.  However, one thing that Steve picked up on was that Bucky was a terrible sleeper. That was different. Bucky used to be able to win an Olympic gold in sleeping, that was just another of the many differences that Steve had noticed since they’d found each other.  Tonight was different.

            Bucky shot up from the bed, jolting Steve awake.

            “Buck,” Steve whispered drowsily.  “What’s going on? Is everything okay?”

            Bucky didn’t say anything.  He just stood there. Even in the dark, Steve could tell that Bucky was staring at him.  He could feel his eyes boring into him. He didn’t know what to think.

            “Bucky,” Steve pleaded in a hushed whisper.  “Please, talk to me. What’s the matter? Was it another dream.”

            “You’re not who you said you are,” Bucky said.  It was barely audible, but Steve heard him.

            Steve felt his heart stop.  He wasn’t expecting this. “Bucky… I… please just sit down.  We can tal--I I can explain.”

            Bucky didn’t sit back down, but he didn’t make to leave either.  That was something.

            “Bucky… I… I lied about who I was because I used a fake name to join,” Steve said slowly.  

            Bucky was silent for a moment.  “Why lie?”

            “Because I… I’ve been lying about more than just my name,” Steve said honestly.  This was a risk, and he knew it. He’d been made, and he owed it to Bucky to tell him the truth.  “I didn’t join Hydra for the reasons that you think I did.”

            Steve saw the outline of Bucky’s figure tense up.  This may have been a mistake, but he had to do what he could to try and get Bucky out of here, even if it meant sacrificing his job or even his life.  “I think you know why I’m here, Buck.”

            “Are you FBI?” His tone was neutral, which made it even harsher than if he had been louder or cruel.

            “No.  I’m a cop.  I’m not FBI.  I joined a task force after a chance encounter with Brock.  They just wanted help bringing Hydra down from the inside. Things changed when… when I found you.  After that, the job took a backseat. The only thing that matters is you--” The door slammed open before he could finish.  The room was fucking bugged. He felt a wave of nausea crash over him. How long had they been listening? How many of their intimate moments had been on display for all of Hydra to hear?

            There were three of them in the room.  Steve glanced over to Bucky who wasn’t looking at him.  Steve wasn’t sure what that meant, but he didn’t have a chance to worry about it.  He sprung into action, fighting off the three Hydra members. These must have been newer recruits, as he was able to incapacitate them with ease.  He looked over to Bucky who still hadn’t moved. Steve didn’t have time to try and figure how what was going on in his head. If he had any chance of getting out of there alive, he had to move quick.

            Steve bolted out of the room and was able to get through the hall quickly.  Apparently there weren’t too many agents of Hydra that were awake and ready for a fight.  The few guys who tried to stop him were easily overpowered.

            He was almost at the door when he was cut off by Brock.  He was holding a pistol, aimed right at Steve. Steve paused as he quickly grabbed his own piece that was thankfully still in his pocket.

“Don’t move, Stevens!” Brock yelled as Steve tried to pull his gun out in front of him.

            Steve grimaced as he slowly dropped his weapon and put his hands up.  “If anything happens to me, my boss will come right here for you. She knows that you’re the one I was in contact with.  At the very least they’ll be able to get you on the Stern stuff. You don’t want to add cop killer to that rap sheet, Brock.”

            Brock laughed harshly.  “You really think you’d be my first?  You’re just the first one that I let through the door.”

            Steve frowned.  He couldn’t say he was surprised.  Danvers had mentioned that this assignment had a high mortality rate.  Before Steve could say anything, Bucky raced down the steps, his gun pointed right at Steve.  That hurt more than it should have. Steve should have prepared himself for the possibility that Bucky was too far gone.  He hadn’t even considered it.

            Steve closed his eyes as he prepared himself.  He was not getting out of this alive. It was over, and he’d failed on all counts.  Hydra would be no weaker than when he started, and Bucky would still be their captive.  He hadn’t managed to help him at all.

            “Stevie,” Bucky said, his tone sounded almost disappointed.  “Still too dumb to run away from a fight.”

            Steve’s eyes shot open.  Bucky had said that to him when they were kids.  He hadn’t said it to him since he was with Hydra.  His gun was now aimed towards Brock, who must have picked up on it because he moved towards Bucky too.  Steve took the opportunity to draw his own pistol and fire at Brock.

            Brock dropped to the ground.  Before either Steve or Bucky could react and get out of there, the front door was kicked in.  Barton and Wilson, along with a few other officers that he didn’t recognize entered the premises.  

            “Get on the ground, and drop the weapons.” Wilson paused as Steve tossed his gun on the floor.  

            “There you go, Sam.” He motioned to Bucky.  “He’s a victim, he saved my life. He’ll cooperate.”

            Bucky looked at Steve nervously as he slowly put his own weapon down too.  Steve felt relief flood over him. It was over. He’d won. He had Bucky back and did some serious damage to Hydra in the process.  It was almost too good to be true.

            It _was_ too good to be true.

 

            Two weeks after that, Bucky was in the wind.  He left shortly after he’d given his statement.  Witness protection. Steve wasn’t allowed to have any form of contact with him until after the trial, and that was only if Bucky chose to come out from the shadows.  Steve wasn’t sure if he would.

            He was in the office filling out some of the massive amounts of paperwork that came with undercover work.  He had to recount and go over almost every encounter that he’d had since his initial contact with Brock. With his intel, they’d already brought down Stern and they had a warrant out for Pierce who was still at large.  That said, he heard that they were closing in. Steve was confident he’d be behind bars soon.

            “Hey,” Danvers sat across from Steve’s desk.  “We got one of them to sign a plea deal. In exchange for his plea and testimony, he’ll get a decreased sentence.  You did good, Rogers.”

            Steve raised an eyebrow at that.  “You mean he didn’t kill himself to get out of an interrogation?”

            She shook her head.  “We tased him before he got a chance.”

            “Which one?”

            “Grant Ward,” she said as she crossed her arms.  “The name ring any bells?”

            Steve laughed bitterly.  “I almost wish you could nail him with everything you got.”

            She raised an eyebrow.  “So he’s a friend of yours then?”

            “Something like that,” Steve said sarcastically.

            She laughed.  “This is a good thing, Rogers.  There’s not going to be anything left of Hydra when we’re done with them.  It’s all thanks to you and your friend.”

            Steve tensed at that.  “There’s already so much damage done…” his voice trailed off.

            She stood up and shoved his shoulder playfully.  “Don’t go around feeling guilty for things that happened before you were on the job.  You’ll never be able to sleep at night. You stopped them from hurting people in the future.  Take the win, Steve.”

            Steve made a face at that.  He wasn’t talking about hypothetical people who had been hurt by Hydra.  He was talking about Bucky. Bucky who had been so hurt that he didn’t even recognize who Steve was.  He couldn’t help but wish that he’d been there sooner.

            Carol must have known what he was thinking.  “Your friend is safe now because of you. He’s in treatment, and… he’s been asking about you.  I’m not supposed to disclose this, but… I don’t think you have to worry about him taking off after the trial.  Just hang in there, Rogers. There’s a light at the end of this tunnel.”

            Steve nodded as she walked away.  Maybe she was right. Maybe everything would work out in the end.  Still, the trial wasn’t going to happen overnight. The only thing that he could do was make sure that everything went smoothly.  It meant that he had to do one thing. Get to work.

           

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> huge shout out to Huntress79 for the fantastic artwork that this piece was inspired by! Also I'd like to thank my phenomenal beta [Anne](http://melsmalone.tumblr.com)! She was an absolute life saver!


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